In late July, a Florida household woke up to a nasty surprise: an alligator taking a dip in their pool. Frantic, they called the local sheriff.
What's happening?
In St. Johns County, the sheriff's office released bodycam footage of a deputy removing the alligator from their swimming pool with his bare hands, Fox 13 Tampa Bay reported.
The animal, which seemed like a juvenile, was not happy to be removed. The deputy firmly grabbed the reptile by its neck to subdue it.
It didn't take him long to get it out. "Obviously you grew up here," a woman off-camera, presumably one of the residents, joked.
The deputy buckled the alligator into the backseat of his car and dropped it off at a pond away from residential areas.
Why is this alligator story concerning?
Alligators are naturally drawn to aquatic environments. Though their preferred habitats include marshes, swamps, and rivers, they can also turn up in swimming pools.
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According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, alligators remain in the area they were born in for up to three years before venturing out to find their own territory. That may have been what this particular juvenile was doing.
In the past, it would have found its own marsh to occupy. Nowadays, habitat fragmentation makes that more difficult. A 2023 study reported on by the World Economic Forum found that the United States has lost about half its wetlands since 1700.
The situation is similar in Florida. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida reported that the Everglades is less than half its original size and has lost over 70% of its water because of agricultural and urban development.
To keep alligators out of pools, their original habitats must be restored. One deputy can only do so much.
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Definitely 🥰 What's being done about habitat restoration?
The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was authorized by Congress in 2000. However, it has yet to be completed.
If you'd like to help on an individual level, consider donating to conservation organizations or getting involved with groups in your area that aid local wildlife.
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